1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical floor hatch and wiring distribution system. More particularly, the invention pertains to an electrical floor hatch and wiring distribution system secured to a metal floor structure and embedded in a concrete slab.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art electrical floor structures and wiring distribution systems are known in the art. In general, such structures and systems are secured to a metal floor structure of a building during construction. A layer of concrete is supported by the floor structure and embeds the structure or system within. The wiring systems provide a means to distribute various power and communication lines throughout a building with the floor structures providing a point of access to the lines.
A commonly used system in building construction utilizes electrical cable trenches in combination with metal cellular flooring having enclosed metal cells. For example, such an electrical cable trench is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,051 issued to Fork. The trenches extend perpendicularly across the metal cells and are provided with cover plates that lay within a common plane with a top surface of the concrete floor. These trench systems suffer from a distinct disadvantage in that the installation is labor intensive which results in added construction costs.
The use of cellular flooring with prior art wiring systems is very popular in modern building construction. However, such flooring has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage involves an added risk factor during construction. Cellular flooring is similar to composite flooring except that cellular flooring has a flat metal portion that extends across the entire bottom side of the flooring. As a result, cellular flooring weighs and costs considerably more than composite flooring. During construction, the added weight of cellular flooring can create a safety concern for construction workers who are balanced upon a frame building made of steel beams and are carrying a length this heavy flooring.
A second disadvantage of cellular flooring involves fire proofing. A floor structure must be capable of containing a fire burning from below for a particular length of time. To gain a proper fire rating as may be needed, cellular flooring is coated on its bottom side with a fire proofing insulation. This insulation adds yet a further disadvantage in cost in comparison to composite flooring that does not typically require insulation in order to receive an equal fire rating.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the electrical floor hatch and wiring system of the present invention differs from those previously proposed and employs a number of novel features that render it highly advantageous over the prior art.